1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a vibration generator holding structure and to an input device that has an input means, a vibration generator, and the vibration generator holding structure.
An input device in practical use has an input means for detecting an input manipulation performed by a manipulator, a vibration generator that generates vibration to be transmitted to the manipulator, and a holding structure that holds the vibration generator (referred to below as the vibration generator holding structure). The input device can detect an input manipulation and can feed back vibration in response to the input manipulation. Therefore, the input device is used as, for example, an input device for a tablet terminal or a controller for a game machine. A conventional input device formed as described above is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-222326. The structure of the conventional input device will be described below with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates the structure of the conventional input device; specifically FIG. 7 illustrates the structure of a conventional tablet device 201 (input device) described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-222326.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the tablet device 201 has a manipulation panel 203 having an input manipulation surface 203a, a support board 204 placed on the same side as the rear surface of the manipulation panel 203 so as to form a stack, the support board 204 supporting the manipulation panel 203, a vibration generator that generates vibration to be transmitted to a manipulator, and an input means that corresponds to an input manipulation performed by the manipulator.
The input means includes a movable conductive layer 206 and a fixed conductive layer 207, which are disposed between the rear surface of the manipulation panel 203 and a surface, of the support board 204, which faces the manipulation panel 203. The movable conductive layer 206 and fixed conductive layer 207 are connected to an external circuit (not illustrated) through a lead electrode 208a, a lead electrode 208b, a lead electrode 209a, a lead electrode 209b, a lead pattern 212a, a lead pattern 212b, a lead pattern 212c, a lead pattern 212d, and the like.
The vibration generator is an elongated strip-shaped piezoelectric board 202 made of a piezoelectric ceramic material based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT). A driving electrode 202a and a driving electrode 202b are provided on the piezoelectric board 202. When a driving voltage is applied to the driving electrode 202a and driving electrode 202b, the piezoelectric board 202 generates predetermined vibration. The piezoelectric board 202 is fastened directly to the rear surface of the support board 204 by using an adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like, and is held by the support board 204.
With the conventional tablet device 201 (input device) described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-222326, the piezoelectric board 202 (vibration generator) has been fastened directly to the rear surface of the support board 204. This has led to the possibility that the portion at which the piezoelectric board 202 and support board 204 are fastened together is broken due to vibration generated by the piezoelectric board 202, in which case the piezoelectric board 202 easily comes off the support board 204 and transmission of vibration from the piezoelectric board 202 to the support board 204 is impeded.
The portion at which the piezoelectric board 202 and support board 204 are fastened together is likely to broken, particularly when there is a large difference between the frequency of vibration generated by the piezoelectric board 202 and the natural vibration frequency of the support board 204. To generate more large vibration, large-mass vibration generators of electromagnetic induction type that utilize a magnetic force between a permanent magnet and an electromagnet are being used in recent years. In this situation as well, the portion at which the piezoelectric board 202 and support board 204 are fastened together is likely to be broken.